Diaphragm control slip



Feb. 5, 1952 s. COUSINS 2,584,556

DIAPHRAGM CONTROL su Filed June 2, 1947 INVENTOR,

5Y0A/E COUS/NS I T TORNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1952 STATES "TENT FFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to feminine undergarments, and more particularly pertains to a diaphragm control slip.

It is an object of the invention to provide an undergarment of the character described which serves the functions of a slip but has none of its disadvantages.

Slips are Worn to shadowproof outer garments and to hold outer garments away from the body. However, slips pull down on the shoulders and 7 also spoil the appearance of the bust, particularly when worn over a brassiere. Pursuant to the present invention a feminine undergarment is provided which afiords a suitable backing for an outer garment but does not cover the bust and is not supported from the shoulders.

It is another object of the invention to provide an undergarment of the character described which when worn over a girdle or the like foundation garment will function as a slip and also act to conceal or smooth out the roll of flesh which ordinarily bulges out over the top of a girdle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an undergarment of the character described which may be worn without a girdle and which will serve both as a slip and to afford a substantial degree of figure control in the region of the diaphragm.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a multiple-purpose feminine undergarment which functions as a slip, a molding and constricting garment and a hose supporter.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be described hereinafter and the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear views respectively of the novel undergarment on a figure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the undergarment with portions thereof broken away to better illustrate the interior construction thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the undergarment.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, l denotes a feminine undergarment embodying the invention and hereinafter referred to as 2. diaphragm control slip. Said undergarment includes two main elements, to wit, a diaphragm control portion I2 and a skirt portion I 4.

The diaphragm control portion constitutes a wide band of a material which is circumferentially resilient and, optionally, transversely resilient as well. Typical of such materials is cloth, such as Lastex, having elastic strands and power net. Said band molds and constricts the region of a wearer which it overlies and acts in the same manner as a girdle, although as will be pointed out hereinafter the region wherein control is effected is different than with a girdle.

The upper edge of the band encircles the body and at the front of the body is located immediately beneath the bust. This disposition of the front edge of the band is best seen in Fig. 3 where it will be observed that said front edge has concave portions l6 which immediately underlie each breast and a cusp portion is which juts up into the zone of cleavage between the breasts. The back edge of the band may be somewhat lower than the front edge and is shown as crossing the back of the body a few inches lower than the bases of the breasts. The lower edge 20 of the band encircles the body at or near the umbilicus, preferably being disposed a short distance above the same, for example about one inch. Thus the band serves to mold and constrict the body in the region of the diaphragm.

The diaphragm control slip may include means to stiffen the upper edge of the band I2 in order to prevent the same from rolling over and to aid in the support and control aiforded thereby. Said means comprises a stiffening element 22 at the front and pairs of stiffening elements 24, 25 at the side of the garment. These elements constitute strips formed of any suitable stiffening material and in any suitable manner, for instance the strips may be made of steel or whalebone or may consist of fiat spiral wound wire, as is'well known to the art.

The front strip 22 is substantially vertically disposed and has its upper end at'the tip of the 'Said 'stifiening strip 22'runs down a short distance, for instance sixinches,

cusp portion l8.

toward the bottom edge of the molding and constricting band. The stiffening strip 22 also serves to hold the cusp portion is in upright position between the breasts. The side strips 24, 26, a pair of which are disposed at each flank of the garment, diverge upwardly, as best seen in Fig. 4. These latter strips can be shorter in length than the front strips, for example three inches.

The skirt portion H3 is fabricated from any kind of cloth, e. g. satin, silk or synthetic plastic yarn, which commonly is employed in the manufacture of slips, and said skirt is cut in such manner as to obtain a proper fit, an a fullness around the hips and legs, if desired.

The upper edge of the skirt is secured to the control and molding band 12 along a line below the upper edge of the control band, but well above the lower edge of said band. This securement is effected by a line of stitching 28, herein shown as the zigzag type, but which may be of any type suitable to secure a substantially non-resilient fabric to a resilient fabric. Optionally the upper edge of the skirt may be slightly gathered, in addition to the foregoing, in order to allow the control band to be expanded when the same is donned whereby to enable said band to yield when embracing the body of a wearer. It will be noted that the upper edge of the skirt portion is considerably above the waist and, indeed, .is located just beneath the breasts. Thi locates the slip high on the body so that it can provide a backing for all of an outer garment save the bust covering portion thereof.

If desired, the diaphragm control slip may incorporate a pair of hose supporters. As shown herein the same are in the form of depending strip 30 whose upper edges are stitched to the control panel adjacent the lower edge of the latter and whose lower ends have attached thereto conventional hose clips 32. The strips 30 may be entirely longitudinally resilient or may include a longitudinally resilient portion or even may be entirely inelastic, the latter form being that shown therein since the control band l2 is vertically elastic and supplies the requisite resilient support for the hose clips. A suitable number of hose supporters are employed, for example two for each stocking.

If the diaphragm control slip is worn over a girdle, it will press in the roll of flesh that ordinarily bulges over the top of the girdle and thus will nicely smooth the figure. If the diaphragm control slip is worn without a girdle it will function to perform a figure molding and constrictin action which serves to hold in the torso in the region of the diaphragm.

It will be observed that the diaphragm control slip does not interfere with the lines of the bust inasmuch as it stops short of the same and is in no way connected to a brassiere even if one should be used. In other words, said improved slip aids in figure control and has all the advantages of an ordinary slip, but by stopping short of the brassiere and by being unattached thereto, the improved slip will not spoil the excellent lines to which the brassiere has molded the figure.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an undergarment which accomplishes the several objects of the invention and which is well adapted to be employed successfully on a commercial scale.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above described, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A feminine undergarment comprising a molding and constricting band predominantly of circumferentially resilient material, the upper edge of said band constituting the upper edge of said garment and adapted to encircle the body and to be disposed immediately below the breasts, the lower edge of said band adapted to encircle the body in the region of the umbilicus, said undergarment also including a skirt portion whose upper edge is secured to the molding and constricting band between the upper and lower edges thereof by circumferentially expansible stitching between said band and said skirt.

2. A feminine undergarment comprising a molding and constricting band predominantly of circumferentially resilient material, the upper edge of said band constituting the upper edge of said garment and adapted to encircle the body and to be disposed immediately below the breasts, the lower edge of said band adapted to encircle the body in the region of the umbilicus, said undergarment also including a skirt portion whose upper edge is secured to. the molding and constricting band between the upper and lower edges thereof by circumferentially expansible stitching between said band and said skirt, said band including at its upper front edge a central upwardly jutting portion which extends into the zone of cleavage between the breasts, and a stiff reinforcing element carried by said band, said element extending downwardly from the tip of said jutting portion and throughout the height thereof.

SYDNE COUSINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 1,432,477 Roth Oct. 17, 1922 1,526,141 Guinzburg Feb. 10, 1925 1,568,917 Peterson Jan. 5, 1926 1,701,425 Scognamillo Feb. 5, 1929 1,990,322 Goldberg Feb. 5, 1935 2,141,239 Diamond Dec. 27, 1938 2,239,056 Schifier Apr. 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 452,307 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1936 

